Luis Enrique- The challenges he faces as Barcelona manager

Will Fabregas be able to replace Xavi?

Culés for many years have wanted Fabregas to be Xavi’s replacement but that is easier said than done. In order for Fabregas to flourish, Enrique may adopt a more direct style instead of the possession football that has been so successful for Barcelona. So to let successfully develop Fabregas in this role, Luis Enrique may let Xavi leave but it will be a tough call and one that Barcelona fans will watch very closely.

His second task will be readopting the pressing style which was so effective when Barcelona were at their scintillating best. The pressing game that Barcelona used was synonymous to their success. However last season this disappeared for the majority of games, only reappearing against Manchester City in the Champions League and Real Madrid in the league. The loss of this pressing style exposed the Barcelona defence even more and led to the team throwing games away against weaker opposition which would have never happened under Guardiola or Vilanova. Lucho must fix this problem and fast.

The third change that is needed is to restore the balance of the team. When Barcelona were playing at their absolute best, the team had great stability and everyone was playng in their best positions. Take the 2011 team for example. The defence was perfect with Dani Alves being the attacking full back and Abidal being defensive minded. Puyol and Pique had a brilliant partnership and complemented each other wonderfully. The midfield trio was quiet extraordinary with Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets supplementing one another to perfection. And finally, the forward line of Messi, Pedro and Villa. The balance was excellent with all three pressing as a unit and winning the ball high up the pitch creating more and more chances for the team.

With two wingers of such quality willing to press at such a high intensity, Messi was helped in becoming the legendary player that he is today. The tireless running of Pedro and Villa generated a mountain of space for Messi to exploit which he did in such a majestic way. This sort of tireless running from the wingers and balance in the team helped the squad in a huge way and must be implemented in order for Barcelona to regain their crown as the best team in the world.

The final point which Tata Martino failed to solve in his season in charge and one that Luis Enrique must find a solution to, is how to play both Messi and Neymar in the same team. It is often said that great players should be able to adjust and play with other great players but this is not always the case. Great player such as Di Stefano, Puskas and Gento, Best, Charlton and Law and Xavi, Iniesta and Messi all played together to great effect but more importantly than being great players, they also complemented each other in a wonderful way. You get the sense that no matter what era these trios played in they would still excel and supplement one another. They had/ have this natural connection that is so hard to put into words.

You get the feeling that no matter how hard they try Messi and Neymar won’t be able to. All Barcelona fans hope they do because they could then establish one of the great, contemporary partnerships in football but it is difficult to see whether it will be successful. If Luis Enrique can somehow get them to gel, it will be a masterstroke but if the two players cannot generate a bond with each other, then Barcelona have a mammoth problem on their hands.

Luis Enrique does have a lot of challenges awaiting him as Barcelona manager but he equally has massive positives. He has an excellent squad, spending power that few managers can dream of and La Masia, the academy that continues to produce top class players. It is a fantastic opportunity for Lucho to prove himself as a manager and no better place to do than at the club he adores and which adores him.